Former Lake Washington School District (LWSD) Superintendent Dr. L.E. “Bud” Scarr died on March 21.

Scarr began his time at LWSD in July 1977 as superintendent and served through June 1996. He received the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Leadership Award in 1990 and in 1995, the WASA named him the Washington State Superintendent of the Year.

Scarr was 84.

Current LWSD Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce, who began her career at the district as a teacher in 1994, said Scarr faithfully served as the district’s superintendent for almost 20 years and in January 2000, the district named its office building in Redmond the L.E. Scarr Resource Center. Pierce said this was in “dedication and recognition for the many outstanding contribution he provided to the students, staff and community of Lake Washington School District.”

“Many staff members worked with Dr. Scarr and he is fondly remembered and will be sorely missed,” Pierce said. “We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and I am humbled and honored to follow in his footsteps.”

One person who fondly remembers Scarr is deputy superintendent Janene Fogard, who began working at LWSD around the same time Scarr started, working in a variety of positions in the business office such as in the budget and finance department before getting to where she is now.

She said it was good to work for Scarr.

“He held high standards for staff,” Fogard said.

Those high standards had to do with making decisions that were best for the students.

Fogard remembers during meetings, how Scarr would put a chair in the middle of the room to signify a student and remind them to make decisions that were best for the students.

In addition to his focus on strong fiscal responsibility, Fogard said Scarr was also a very caring person. She said if anything happened to anyone, he would be there to support them in their time of need.

LWSD is holding a community event to honor Scarr from 2:30-5:30 p.m., with a program beginning at 4 p.m., on April 11 at the district resource center at 16250 N.E. 74th St. in Redmond. This event is open to the public.